Police have released the name of the victim who was fatally shot Sunday in Niles Township.  Carla Jean Lewis, 55, was shot at 1429 Lawndale Ave. and pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Berrien County Sheriff Department.

Officers arrived at the scene at approximately 5:56 p.m. The caller who reported the crime was the 49-year-old husband, John Benton Lewis, who stated that unknown subjects had entered the residence and shot his wife in the basement of the house.

It is alleged that these same suspects fled the scene in the victim’s 2008 Mazda CX-9 which is dark in color.

The vehicle has a Michigan Registration of (CMY 3721) and has been entered as a stolen. Anyone who has information as to the whereabouts of this vehicle is asked to contact the police immediately and any occupants are to be considered armed and extremely dangerous. This incident remains under investigation by the Berrien County Sherriff’s Office, Berrien County Homicide Task Force and the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force. The Michigan State Police Crime Lab was called in to process the scene for any forensic evidence.

An autopsy was scheduled Monday at the Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine in Kalamazoo.

During the police investigation, it was discovered that John Benton Lewis was not in compliance with the Medical Marijuana Act, according to police. He was lodged at the Berrien County Jail for this violation.

This incident remains under investigation and anyone with information is asked to contact the Berrien County Sheriff’s Office at (269) 983-7141.

More information will be released as the investigation continues.